On the morning of December 21, 2007, the defendant was driving a stolen vehicle eastbound on Route 55 in Warren County when he veered across the center line of the two lane roadway, immediately in front of a westbound loaded cement truck. He slammed his car, head on, into the front of the truck driven by the plaintiff and owned by the cement company’s firm.

The plaintiff felt his truck hit the front left side of the car. The cement truck’s front right tire and steering mechanism broke and almost completely separated from the body of the cab. The loaded cement truck rolled over onto its right side and across the highway, slamming into the embankment on the south side of the road.

Injuries

The plaintiff sustained serious injuries as a result of the crash. He was treated for a left knee sprain; an abrasion to the top of his head; a right hip injury; bruising and pain on both hips; bruising to the left side of his chest area; a left shoulder injury which required surgery to repair; bruises to the left forearm and upper right arm; and mental distress including but not limited to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, panic attacks and anxiety. He treated with an orthopaedic doctor, a psychiatrist and went through extensive physical therapy. His medical doctor was prepared to testify at trial that the plaintiff would never work again due to his post traumatic stress disorder. His medical bills totaled $23,458.29. His case settled for $425,000.00 from the under/uninsured motorist carrier as the defendant was driving a stolen vehicle, refused to cooperate and did not participate in litigation.